Emily Dickinson Lexicon

APT'NESS, n.

1. Fitness; suitableness; as, the aptness of things to their end.
2. Disposition of the mind; propensity; as, the aptness of men to follow example.
3. Quickness of apprehension; readiness in learning; docility; as, au aptness to learn is more observable in some children than in others.
4. Tendency, in things; as, the aptness of iron to rust.

AP'TOTE, n. [Gr. α privative and πτωσις, case.]

In grammar, a noun which has no variation of termination, or distinction of cases; an indeclinable noun.

AP'Y-REX-Y, n. [Gr. α privative and πυρεσσω, to be feverish, from πυρ, fire.]

The absence or intermission of fever.

A-PY'ROUS, a. [Gr. απυρος, α privative and πυρ, fire.]

Incombustible, or that sustains a strong heat without alteration of form or properties. Apyrous bodies differ from those simply refractory. Refractory bodies can not be fused by heat, but may be altered. – Encyc.

A'QUA, n. [L. aqua; Sp. agua; Port. agoa; It. acqua, water; Arm. eagui, to water, or steep; Goth. ahwa, water, which in Saxon is reduced to ea; G. and D. ei, in eiland; Fr. eau; W. gwy or aw; Ir. oig or oiche; Amh. oge.]

Water; a word much used in pharmacy, and the old chimistry. Aqua fortis, in the old chimistry, is now called nitric acid. Aqua marina, a name which jewelers give to the beryl, on account of its color. Aqua regia, in the old chimistry, is now called nitro-muriatic acid. Aqua vitæ, brandy, or spirit of wine.

A-QUA'RI-AN, n.

One of a sect of Christians, in the primitive church, who consecrated water in the eucharist instead of wine; either under a pretense of abstinence, or because it was unlawful to drink wine. – Encyc.

A-QUA'RI-US, n. [L.]

The Water-bearer; a sign in the zodiac which the sun enters about the 21st of January; so called from the rains which prevail at that season, in Italy and the East. The stars in this constellation, according to Ptolemy, are 45; according to Tycho Brahe, 41; according to Hevelius, 47; and according to Flamstead, 108.

A-QUAT'IC, a. [L. aquaticus. See Aqua.]

Pertaining to water; applied to animals which live in water, as fishes; or to such as frequent it, as aquatic fowls; applied to plants, it denotes such as grow in water. Aquatical is rarely used.

A-QUAT'IC, n.

A plant which grows in water, as the Flag.

AQ'UA-TILE, a.

That inhabits the water. [Rarely used.] – Brown.

A-QUA-TINT'A, a. [aqua, water, and It. tinta, dye. See Tincture.]

A method of etching on copper, by which a beautiful effect is produced, resembling a fine drawing in water colors or Indian ink. This is performed with a powder of asphalt and fine transparent resin sifted on the plate, which is a little greased; the loose powder being shaken off, the plate is heated over a chafing dish; and when cool, the light places on the plate are covered with a hair pencil, dipped in turpentine varnish mixed with ivory black. A rim is then raised with bees' wax, and reduced nitrous acid is poured on, and suffered to stand five minutes; then poured off, and the plate dried. This process with the pencil and the aqua fortis is to be repeated till the darkest shades are produced. – Encyc.

AQ'UE-DUCT, a. [L. aqua, water, and ductus, a pipe or canal, from duco, to lead. See Duke.]

A structure made for conveying water from one place to another over uneven ground; either above or under the surface. It may be either a pipe or a channel. It may be constructed above ground of stone or wood; carried through hills by piercing them, and over valleys, by a structure supported by props or arches. Some have been formed with three conduits on the same line, elevated one above another. – Encyc.

A'QUE-OUS, a.

Watery; partaking of the nature of water, or abounding with it.

A'QUE-OUS-NESS, n.

The quality of being watery; waterishness; wateriness.

A'QUI-FORM, a.

In the form of water.

AQ'UI-LA, n. [L. whence aquilinus; from the Oriental עקל, to be crooked. This fowl is probably named from its curving beak.]

In ornithology, the eagle. Also, a northern constellation containing, according to the British catalogue, 71 stars. – Encyc.

AQ'UI-LINE, a. [L. aquilinus. See Aquila.]

1. Belonging to the eagle.
2. Curving; hooked; prominent; like the beak of an eagle.

AQ'UI-LON, n. [L. aquilo.]

The north wind. – Shak.

AQ-UI-TA'NI-AN, a.

Pertaining to Aquitania, one of the great divisions of Gaul, which, according to Cesar, lay between the Garonne, the Pyrenees, and the ocean. In modern days, it has been called Gascony. The inhabitants in Cesar's time, spoke a different dialect from that of the proper Celts, between the Garonne and Seine. This dialect bore an affinity to the Basque, in Biscay, to which they were contiguous; and some remains of it still exist in the Gascon. Aquitania is the country of the Aqui; from the name of the people, with tan, a Celtic word, signifying region or country. The Romans, either from their general usage, or from not understanding the Celtic tan, annexed another termination signifying country, ia, the Ir. ai or aoi, Heb. אי, ai, a settlement or habitation; Gr. αια, land, country; Hindu, eya, the same. Cesar, Com. lib. i, 1. D'Anville.

AR, n. [or A.R. from L.]

stands for anno regni, the year of the king's reign; as, A. R. G. R. 20, in the 20th year of the reign of king George.

A-RA-BESK', or AR'A-BESQUE, a. [See Arabian.]

1. In the manner of the Arabians; applied to ornaments consisting of imaginary foliage, stalks, plants, &c., in which there are no figures of animals. – Encyc.
2. The Arabic language. [Not in use.] – Guthrie.

A-RA'BI-AN, a. [See the noun.]

Pertaining to Arabia.

A-RA'BI-AN, n. [Arab denotes a wanderer, or a dweller in a desert.]

A native of Arabia; an Arab.

AR'A-BIC, a.

Belonging to Arabia, or the language of its inhabitants.

AR'A-BIC, n.

The language of the Arabians.